Feature Fun Friday - A Disney Halloween Treat

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): This is Halloween by Danny Elfman [The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack].


Forget what the Disney Channel is now. THIS is my childhood. I would watch this every single year at Halloween. I have a VHS tape of it that is literally almost stripped clean, and as far as I know has never been put on dvd. If you have seen this before, hooray! If you haven't, you're in for a treat. Here is the remastered intro someone did (it's gorgeous) and part 1 of the video. I'll leave a link at the bottom in case you want to watch them all. Happy Halloween everyone!








Link to Part 1 of 9

Awesome Book Character Costumes to the MAX.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Come My Sweet by Mediaeval Baebes.

Steampunk versions of Jules Vern's characters and

Alanna from Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness' quartet



Guinevere from the legend of King Arthur

Javert from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

Roland Deschain from Steven King's Dark Tower series.





Sabriel from Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy



Everyone from Little Riding Hood to Sherlock Holmes to Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, and

The infamous Hales from their own Rapunzel's Revenge series

Young Snape from J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series.




Ygritte from Song of Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin.



All courtesy given to the incredible people who have made these costumes. If I do not give full credit, please forgive me. Courtesy of: gryphonclaw, Jaize, LostKingdom, Meketaten, Syagria, supergeekgirl, #7 Saville Row, and Maw Books Blog

A Literary Halloween Costume Idea Generator

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): King of Lullaby by Eiffel 65.


Halloween in a word, rocks. Because I enjoy it so much, I've compiled a list of book-related costume posts for this most auspicious week. Dress up as your favorite character, author, or heck, your favorite book (good luck getting through doorways though). There are about 1.4 trillion and a half books out there*, and I know there is a perfect character for you.

So to help get some literi buzz going, I've scoured the internet and the deepest recesses of my mind (a scary place mind you), to help kick-start the idea engine and help you find the perfect literary figment of your imagination that is dying to break out.


There are, of course, the classics:
Nancy Drew
Sherlock Holmes
Elizabeth Bennett (and Mr. Darcy for your lucky boyfriend)
Edgar Allen Poe, complete with a raven on your shoulder - quite appropriate for Halloween.
For Miss Havisham all you need is a trashed wedding/prom dress and a crazy look in your eye and viola!
Ariel/Prospero of The Tempest
Titania/Oberon/Puck of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Shakespeare character's could go on and on, or dress up as the bard himself!

An inflatable globe makes you an instant Atlas (or if you carry it lower you can be Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged) ;) (ah, me and my puns. I kill myself).

Want to be tricky? Dress up as one of the seven deadly sins (a fabulous visualization of them can be found on blackeri's Deviant art page).

Pregnant? No worries! Pin an "A" to your dress front, and you are a perfect Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. (Shannon Hale did this one year and it was fantastic to see pictures of her in it).

Already have a costume planned out, have kids or are on a tight/non-existent budget? Got that covered too. :)
-Baby mouse costume = Hickory Dickory Dock/If You Give a Mouse a Cookie/Tale of Despereux
-Any barnyard costume = Animal Farm
-Roman centurion = Antony and Cleopatra
-Baby bunny/rabbit costume = Peter Rabbit.
-Witch costume = Wicked Witch of the West/Wicked (a scarecrow and Tin Man costume could be easy to "scare" up). :)
-Indian = Indian in the Cupboard/Last of the Mohicans/take your pick.
-Tons of layered shirts = Mrs. Whatsit from A Wrinkle in Time (this one could easily cost you nothing).
-White pajamas, ears and a tail = Max from Where the Wild Things Are
-Striped red and white shirt and hat - Where's Waldo (awesome!).
-Shirt with a green ham painted on - Sam I am.






Costume I seriously want to do someday: Scout's ham costume from To Kill a Mockingbird.


You can go as a famous character, like Twilight or Harry Potter, but do your own imagining. Who says you have to follow the movie? From Danielle Dreger-Babbit of The Examiner, here are her ideas for creating your own Twilight characters:

For the character of Edward, the only items you'll need are vampire teeth and some powder to make yourself pale. For Bella, cover your body in band-aids and ace bandages and carry around a copy of a Jane Austen novel. Jacob is a slightly harder look to achieve. My advice is to wear some super tight clothes with tears in them and give your best "werewolf" face."

She totally forgot the rub-on glitter though. And what about Wuthering Heights? This can equally be applied to any popular series/books.


Let your imagination fly and your inner literary figure break free and bust a move. :D
(feel free to add any extras in the comments)




*that is a totally accurate number by the way.

Feature Fun Friday - Authors Worst Fears

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Mario Kart Love Song by Sam Hart (it's AMAZING. Seriously, go listen to it).




For those who were not here before, I'm resurrecting these from the dead (or at least, the long-since-buried-in-the-digital-archives) because it is Halloween and that is just plain awesome, and even more because this is all about authors getting scared. Back in 2008 Lauren Myracle put an all-call out to 13 famous authors to face their worst fear and show evidence of it, preferably in the form of a YouTube video. Hers? Learning the Thriller dance. But my absolute favorites by far are Shannon Hale's -which is secretly subtitled The Dean Witch Project- and John Green's. Shannon's is flippin scary and John's is downright heroic. So enjoy everyone! Man, I love this time of year. :)

Adventures at the State Fair

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Breathing by Lifehouse.





You guys were so right. I did go to the State Fair (this is 2009's though. I was looking through my photos and went something like "Whoa! I didn't know I took pictures of that!") I love the fair. There's such a cool atmosphere there. But you won't see me near any of the rides. I hold serious doubts to the safety of anything big and mechanical that can be assembled or dissembled in a day. Just sayin.




Yum. I love trying new things and I can definitely say this is the first time I've ever had a pork burger. I had a bison burger once. Also good. And even better - there was a gelato station just around the corner. Heaven *dies of happiness in glorious gelato-y thoughts* :)




See the chandelier? Out of place? I thought so. But this is where we had my prom. No, seriously (but maybe that's a common practice. Is it?). When I came here (no limo, unlike other groups. But I was okay with that) I was seriously afraid of stepping in a cow pie. I was even more terrified because I had to shell out the dough for the dress myself (and seriously! What guy in their right mind gives girls in $200-$800 prom dresses baked potatoes with CHILLI and fried chicken as food choices for dinner!? There may have been spaghetti too, but that could just be imagined in my state of near paranoia. However, they did serve us in tuxedos, which was very very hot and very gentlemanly like, so I forgave them. Though I've never eaten so slow in my life before).



Back at the State Fair - I had no idea if this guy was real or not. I *think* he was because how well he moved, but I'm still not sure. He gathered quite a crowd too.




I think he was proposing to this girl here. Or waltzing. Maybe both.




And the famous butter sculpture! Yes, it is indeed a cow in a tutu and I have no idea why the other one was wearing a scarf. Maybe they were dancing on an ice rink. :) What do they do with all of that butter once it's gone? World's biggest brownie has my vote. :)

Guess My Adventure

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Comme Des Enfants by Coeur De Pirate.

Feature Fun Friday - Zooey Deschanel Sings in a Library

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Resistance by Muse.




Since we didn't get a Feature Fun Friday on Friday, I'm sneaking it in here now. What can I say? I love internet videos. ^_^ Ever since I heard Zooey sing in Elf way back when I have loved catching glimpses of that side of her in movies (so sad nothing ever happened with that in Tin Man. I mean come on, you had six hours of sci-fi miniseries goodness on your hands! *shakes head* But hey, 500 Days of Summer lived up to it quite nicely). So while not a match made in heaven, it was still really cool to see her singing all Glee-esque in a library here. :)

Monday's Muse, 22nd edition.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve.


The idea of Monday's Muse is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What I do is go to amazon, narrow it down to a YA field and type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of (and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Today's random word:
Horse.

The Island of Horses by Ellis Dillon.


The people of remote Inishrone, a few miles off the Connemara coast, know not to go to the Island of Horses. Everyone has heard tales of men who have gone and never returned, and some people can still hear the thunder of ghostly hooves. Yet one day young Pat Conroy and his friend Danny MacDonagh head off anyway, claiming that they're fishing for eels. There they find something far more valuable - a beautiful black colt that soon lands them in a world of trouble. Now the boys must return to the island, despite rough seas, along with Pat's frail grandmother who knows of a hidden valley and a secret story. The Island of Horses is fraught with suspense and peopled with unforgettable individuals.



The White Horse Trick by Kate Thompson.

This complex fantasy, which follows The New Policeman (2007) and The Last of the High Kings (2008), offers readers a taste of genre-blending that is both challenging and successful. Jenny is either 16 (in fairy terms) or quite an elderly woman (in mortal Irish terms). The fantasy world, where time has stopped, is presented as nearly feudal, while Ireland has moved into a future where such contemporary trappings as DVDs are now passé. That is because the “ploddy world”—as the fairies call the one we mortals know as our own—was ruined generations back by ecoviolence of the sort young teens will already recognize as a potential real disaster. Readers with some familiarity with Irish lore will have the most immediate success unwinding the complexities of familial lines and political allegiances in the fairy world. The conclusion surprises, however, as Thompson delivers a delightful twist that turns the tale into a riff on the biblical creation story. Copious drinking and some use of tobacco are in keeping with the characters and their diverse—and diverting—times. --Francisca Goldsmith



I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Wilson.

14th-century China, an elderly woman tells her granddaughter about her early life on the Mongol steppes, beginning with the day a horse crushed her tiny foot, crippling the young Oyuna. According to her nomadic clan's religious beliefs, this incident brought bad luck to her and her family. Thereafter, she views any misfortune visited upon her family as her fault, even her mother's accidental death. Her one joy is her new white horse. When the mare is commandeered by Kublai Khan's forces, Oyuna dresses as a boy in order to remain with her beloved companion. When the soldiers discover her secret, they are anxious to get rid of her and quickly send her off alone to complete a mission for an injured arrow rider for the Khan. After an arduous trek, she reaches the Khan's palace where she is instrumental in halting a plague that is killing off the ruler's herd of white horses and meets the man whom she will marry. In the words of her own shamaness grandmother, she has learned to make her own luck. This unique coming-of-age story is steeped in the rituals and superstitions of the period and punctuated with graphic images of the harsh terrain and living conditions on the barren steppes, the treacherous mountains, and the gobi. The character of Oyuna, though a sympathetic one, seems drawn with a kind of detachment that makes it difficult to identify closely with her. Nevertheless, her story is an exciting one that will reward diligent, proficient readers. School Library Journal -- A Peggy Morgan, The Library Network, Southgate, MI


Ariel's Journey by Doug Kane and Christy Wood.

Five very different young women sent to the woods to learn about Icelandic horses, beautiful, fluffy, stocky horses with an uncanny ability to survive harsh climates and dangerous terrain. But this summer camping trip reveals their true power the horses and their young riders must travel centuries into the past to save the village of their ancestors. Uncovering amazing abilities, girls and horses work together to challenge a ruthless enemy, rescue a young princess, and realize their destinies include a prophecy only they can fulfill. Will the girls develop the trust and friendship necessary to battle together? Are the horses going to survive a battle plan sure to end in disaster? Can the young princess be saved before the evil chieftain destroys her? Can true love cross the distance of seven hundred years? Their very lives will depend on the magic only the Ice Horses can provide, and the courage hidden within their hearts.


House of the Star by Caitlin Brennan.

Elen is a princess of the kingdom of Ymbria. Her greatest wish is to become a rider of worldrunners: the magical horses that are the only safe way to travel the roads through the worlds of Faerie. Now Elen has the chance to fulfill her dream at last, but the price is much too high.

To become a worldrider, Elen must journey to the House of the Star on Earth, the Arizona ranch where the worldrunners live and breed. There, she must try to forge a peace with her people’s worst enemy—a traitor from the world of Caledon—and end the war that has been tearing their worlds apart for centuries. If Elen doesn’t succeed, the Master of the House of the Star will close both Ymbria and Caledon off from the worldroads forever. Can the wisdom of a worldrunner named Blanca help Elen in her quest to save her world?

Caitlin Brennan’s first novel for young readers is an enchanting tale of a very special breed of horses, the tribe of horse girls, and faerie magic.



The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Phaedrus, an enslaved gladiator in northern Britain in the first century, earns his freedom by killing his best friend, a fellow gladiator, in a final fight to the death

YA SFF Books Eligible for the Cybils but Not Nominated Yet

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Kyrie by Mr. Mister.


Dangit. The links didn't transfer. I'll try and fix it by tonight. If not, we're fully capable of copying and pasting right? :) There are some really good ones in there. If you are stuck on what to nominate, here is an excellent place to start!




BRAIN JACK by Brian Falkner.
THE GAME by Monica Hughes
JUMBEE by Pamela Keyes
THE FRENZY by Francesca Lia Block.
HOW TO LOVE A WEREWOLF by Sophie Collins.
TORMENT: A FALLEN NOVEL by Lauren Kate.
WHEN ROSE WAKES by Christopher Golden.
JUMP by Ginger Rue.
KING OF ITHAKA by Tracy Barrett.
THE SECRET SOCIETY OF THE PINK CRYSTAL BALL by Risa Green.
WIRED: SKINNED by Robin Wasserman.
BEYOND THE MASK: THE GRASSLAND TRILOGY by David Ward
Z by Michael Thomas Ford.
THE HAUNTED: THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday.
TIMERIDERS by Alex Scarrow.
THE WHITE HORSE TRICK by Kate Thompson.
THE BROKEN LAKE: THE PACE SERIES by Shelena Shorts
BANISHED by Sophie Littlefield
BEHEMOTH: LEVIATHANby Scott Westerfeld
THE BLENDING TIME by Michael Kinch.
BLOODTHIRSTY by Flynn Meaney.
MANIFEST: A MISFITS NOVEL by Artist Arthur.
THE THIN EXECUTIONER by Darren Shan.
7 SOULS by Barnabas Miller & Jordan Orlando
THE FOOL'S GIRL by Celia Rees.
LUCY by Laurence Gonzales.
THE POISON DIARIES by Maryrose Wood & The Duchess of Northumberland
X-ISLE by Steve Augarde
OTHER by Karen Kincy.
DEATHDAY LETTER by Shaun David Hutchinson
IMAGINALIS by J. M. Dematteis
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: BLADE by Tim Bowler.
NOMANSLAND by Lesley Hauge.
THE SPIDER'S WEB by Adrian Tilley.
THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER: AN ECLIPSE NOVELLA by Stephenie Meyer.
THE SORCERER OF SAINTE FELICE by Ann Finnin.
FLIGHT OF SHADOWS by Sigmund Brouwer
GLIMMERGLASS: FAERIEWALKER by Jenna Black
RESTORING HARMONY by Joelle Anthony.
WINTERCRAFT by Jenna Burtenshaw.
HAWKSMAID: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ROBIN HOOD AND MAID MARIAN by Kathryn Lasky.
THE PRINCESS AND THE SNOWBIRD by Mette Ivie Harrison.
REMEMBERING GREEN by Lesley Beake.
WHISPER by Phoebe Kitanidis.
THE BEASTLY BRIDE: TALES OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling.
FLIGHT OF THE OUTCAST: THE ACADEMY YEAR 1 by Brad Strickland.
THE SHADOW ROAD: THE WARLOCKS OF TALVERDIN by K.V. Johansen.
SHAPESHIFTER by Holly Bennett.
THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
SPLIT by Stefan Petrucha.
STUCK ON EARTH by David Klass.
A SMALL FREE KISS IN THE DARK by Glenda Millard.
A WISH AFTER MIDNIGHT by Zetta Elliott.
THE CLONE CODES by Patricia C. & Fredrick McKissack.
IN A HEARTBEAT by Loretta Ellsworth.
LEX TRENT VERSUS THE GODS by Alex Bell.
LIGHT BENEATH FERNS by Anne Spollen.
NUMBERS by Rachel Ward.
DRAGONS OF DARKNESS by Antonia Michaelis.
BLOOD NINJA by Nick Lake.
DRAGONFLY by Julia Golding.
WHAT I WORE TO SAVE THE WORLD, by Maryrose Wood.
LOCKDOWN: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE by Alexander Gordon Smith.

Enough Release Day Awesome to Explode Your Brain.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Major Tom by Shiny Toy Guns.



This week has been jaw-dropping for releases. Not only is it the last couple of days before the Cybils nominations close (if you haven't nominated a book (or several) go! Go now! Shoo!), but they has to squeeze in the last few books that would qualify for this year. Seriously, my brain nearly exploded from the sheer amount of awesome crammed into a single release day of October 12th. Not only are books like Enchanted Ivy and Stork released today, but look at these!


The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Another Percy Jackson book? I'm hyperventilating. Gimmie!









The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Just the thing to get me off my Hunger Games withdrawal! Dark, dystopian and totally creepy, I'm so glad I'm *required* to read this for the Cybils. Yes, forced. It's terrible. Truly.






The Butler Gets a Break: A Bellweather Tale by Kristin Clark Venuti

Okay, so not on the famous scale as these other two, but dang is this a sweet and funny story, and I had no idea the sequel was already ready to be out! Happy Day! (and you can read my review of the first one here).

This. Is. Wrong.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.



For the Cybils I was looking up some reviews to books I'd recently finished, just to see how our thoughts compared. I was typing in the title and author (it's a more generic title) and this is what I found -




I was shocked and horrified that was the first prompt after her name. Torrenting or downloading is stealing, people. I did another test, on a bigger name author. The results made me bug out.






I quickly typed out other author's names, as fast as I could come up with them.










And you wonder why the publishing industry is struggling. Now instead of competing against competition like movies/music/video games/etc. it is now fighting against its own customers. It's simple. If you want stories and books to stay around BUY THE BOOK!

I am very blessed.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Mockingbird by Rob Thomas.









Sometimes I look around me and see so much that I've been blessed with that I forget what I have. Everything from being able to have insta-hot water and flushing toilets (talk about a miracle THAT is if you really think about it). And another thing is people.


People don't have to follow me on my blog. They certainly don't have to comment or in any way let me know they are there. That takes time and effort, and those are both precious commodities in this ever increasing world of cram-more-in-because-we-can. I'm just a small voice saying my little part, sharing my adventures and how I see the world. But there are people listening. You listen, and that astounds me the more I think about it.

People have connected to me on here and I've connected to them. I have commented and tried to reciprocate every kind word and outstretched hand of friendship, but I am ashamed to say I have also taken it for granted.


But no more.


I am going to try harder to reply to every comment, every @twitter response (yes, I'm on twitter. Something I should probably have mentioned a while ago), every email or outreach to be returned in kind and not let any opportunity pass me by. I know there will be a time when that will become impossible, but until that day comes I am going to try harder to be more kind and thoughtful, as it has been so generously bestowed upon me. You are all so kind and wonderful and from the deepest part of my heart, I thank you for that.

Feature Fun Friday - Paper Star Wars!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): According to Plan by Danny Elfman [The Corpse Bride soundtrack].



Okay, so this is definitely pushing the limits of Feature Fun Friday since it is supposed to be centered around books and stories and literature, but it is just so cool. :) And since I'm grasping at straws anyway, there are Star Wars books, right? Plus, this is an awesome vehicle for storytelling. So it's totally valid. Have a great weekend everyone!

A Hunger Games Release Party

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse.





I can't believe I didn't post this. I mean, I really can't. Here I am geeking out about how awesome possum The Hunger Games is and I don't even post about the midnight release party I snuck into! Okay, there wasn't any sneaking, they let me in just fine, but the bouncer dude at the door with arms like a gorilla did look really scary. ;) I had to flash him my most winning smile then promptly darted to the Teen section (and there were other people there. My age. All at once. And no one was giving me funny looks. It. Was. Awesome).


The first thing I immediately noticed was how laid back it was. It was a lot more relaxed than the Breaking Dawn party I managed to go to, and about 20 degrees cooler (that one was like a humid, stinky sauna of 700-2,000 bodies pressing very close to each other. There was no where to move. Much squeezing and apologizing abounded). But this? People sitting in aisles, texting and browsing. It was like shopping for two hours (of course I've never shopped for books for two hours before *shifty eyes*) and no one caring if you cracked open a book and started reading because hey - what else are you going to do?




Here is the line for Cinna's hairstyle station (yeah, I squeed really loud). The line was mega long so I didn't get in (I was um, reading too many books), but they had some awesome styles and even spray-on colors and the like. It was definitely one of the most popular stations.






And perhaps the coolest thing when compared to the Breaking Dawn release party, there were guys in the store too. Besides the Edward Cullen stand-in, I can't remember many guys there. There were lots of girls though. :) I love it when I see the male reading population out in mass, even giving up precious sleep for a book. Be still my heart. *flutters*





The cafe was also one of the other busiest places. When you're waiting and they offer sugar-coated treats of goodness just begging to be consumed, how can you not take them up on the offer? Yeah, smart move Starbucks. :)






Oh yeah, and they had specialty character drinks.




I love Haymitch's because I thought it was funny, but I was going to get a Rue drink because it looked so good. But then my heart stopped. What? No Cinna drink?! How could this be? There wasn't anyone more deserving of a classic drink that him! (Okay, so what if I have a teensy crush on Cinna?). So up I marched clutching my purse I very politely asked why there could be no drink to honor the amazing/hot/incredible Cinna (okay, so I didn't use any of those adjectives, but I sure thought it). And they said it was because it was too early in the season to have (ah crap. I can't even remember what they were going to give him for his drink. Apple Cider?). And then I went - oh, that makes sense. But I asked for a special drink for him anyway. :)


They gave me a pumpkin spice hot drink, no coffee, specially made to order. It was a good thing too because it was rather cold that night. And of course I had to put Cinnamon on it.




So there I sat, happily drinking my very special concoction, working out my Hunger Games crossword puzzle as the clock ticked down the last fifteen minutes. But I realized as I drank it that it didn't feel very much like Cinna. Cinna was much richer and more complex, like, like... hot chocolate. Not the fakey powder kind you can buy in the store, but real hot chocolate. And then I realized - I could make a recipe for him. My mind started whirling and the time flew. And that was, by far, the best way to end the countdown in those last few desperate seconds. So yes, a Cinna-inspired hot chocolate recipe is coming your way. Look for it, coming to you this holiday season. :)

Interview - Mitali Perkins, author of Bamboo People

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): King of Anything by Sara Bareilles.



Today we have the lovely and exceedingly wonderful Mitali Perkins, author of Bamboo People (a book I loved, and has also been nominated for a Cybils award!--nominations still going on, by the way) who is here with a mini-interview. Oh, and rights have just been sold to turn it into an audiobook! Yay Mitali! Here we go!




[HZ] I have to admit, Tai was a favorite character of mine. Where did he come from/how did you develop him as a character?

[Mitali] So glad you liked him! He formed himself in my imagination, but he does have similarities to one of my sons.



[HZ] Your novel speaks a lot about violence, prejudice and power. Why did you focus on these subjects when crafting this story?

[Mitali] I think about those issues all the time. Can't shut the door on them when they ask for entrance into my stories.



[HZ] You give a hint of it in the story, but why did you choose to call your story Bamboo People?

[Mitali] I. Love. Bamboo. It is one of the most generous, ecologically-efficient plants on the planet, and people along the Thai-Burma border use it for absolutely everything.



[HZ] While this story is incredible, there is reality behind it going on right now. What can you tell us about children soldiers and the situation in modern Burma? What can be done to help?

[Mitali] Find out if your elected representatives have taken a stand on Burma or on child soldiers. If not, write a letter to him/her to express your outrage at the situation. Raise money to give through the organizations I’ve listed at www.bamboopeople.org. Pray. Read the news about Burma. Find out if Karenni refugees are arriving anywhere in your area and do your best to help them get settled in this new place—they were finally granted permission to come here last year.


[HZ] Your world really came alive as your wrote it. Is there anything from Burma or Thailand you can share with us? Anything that can bring this wonderful world closer to our own door? :)

[Mitali] My good friend who has lived and worked with the Karenni shared a beautiful tradition with me. When a friend or family member is about to leave on a journey, the community gathers and blesses the person by tying white strings around his or her wrist. Maybe we should tie white strings around our wrists for a day in honor of these suffering people. What do you think?





Thank you so much, Mitali. And please keep writing such beautiful stories.

The First Batch Looks Great

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap.



And they're off and running hot! The Cybils nominations are going until October 15th (and you should totally nominate something if you haven't yet!), and I've already got my first stack to tear into. This was actually four books higher, but I took those back to the library already. And these were the just the ones one the shelves. I've already maxed out two library cards with holds requests. This. Is. Awesome. Thank you, you guys! And keep the nominations coming!

Feature Fun Friday - Double Tower!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Like A Prayer by Madonna.




This is for anyone who has seen/loves viral videos, especially the "Double Rainbow" video. Kudos to Disney for reaching out to the internet-obsessed crowd (like *ahem*, me). Word gets around. :) I *love* it when a company can make fun of itself. I'm still uber sad it isn't in 2D (do you HE AR ME DISNEY?!!!), but this definitely upped the fun factor of it for me. Enjoy!